The OECD LAC Regional Programme (Español, Français,Português) aims to support the region in advancing its reform agenda along three key regional priorities: increasing productivity, enhancing social inclusion, and strengthening institutions and governance. Since its launch in June 2016, the Programme moved quickly into implementation mode, approving a Programmatic Document to guide its substantive work over 2016-2018, and successfully delivering its first two high-level event. Keeping productivity, social inclusion and governance as the main framework, the Programme will undertake a number of activities during its first mandate:

The annual flagship publication Latin American Economic Outlook (LEO), already in its 10th edition, will continue to contribute its in-depth analysis of economic and social development in Latin America. The latest edition explores youth, skills and entrepreneurship.

OECD LAC Regional Programme International Conference & Ministerial Meeting “Towards Inclusive Social Protection Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean’’, held in Asunción, Paraguay on 16 November 2017.

Sub-regional Activities:Recognising the heterogeneity of the region, the Programme is developing sub-regional initiatives, with an emphasis on Central America and the Caribbean, in order to better tailor its policy advice and support. On 29 June, the Consejo de Ministros para la Integración Económica (COMIECO) formalised the creation of the OECD Central American Initiative in the framework of the OECD LAC Regional Programme. The Initiative has as an overall objective to support the region’s economic integration process via four priority areas: 1) global and regional value chains; 2) strengthening the role of the services sector and SMES; 3) improving the institutional design of the economic integration process; and 4) advancing international regulatory co-operation within the sub-region. Activities in suport of these four priorities will be undertaken in close co-operation with the COMIECO and the Secretary of Economic Integration of Central America (SIECA).

Statistics:While many LAC countries are already included in OECD statistical datasets, the Programme will seek to expand this coverage and make it more readily available. A newOECD LAC statistics portal has already been developed for this purpose. In addition, the OECD in collaboration with ECLAC launched the How’s Life in Latin America?Initiative to develop wellbeing indicators for the LAC region, building on the OECD Better Life Index.